


A collective of three

by Querion



Series: Loving Seven [3]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Breastfeeding conundrum, F/F, Pregnancy and motherhood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-13 19:55:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16898922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Querion/pseuds/Querion
Summary: Captain Janeway and her fiancee, Seven of Nine, welcome a new member in their collective. Seven proves to be a natural mother while Janeway struggles.





	1. Labour

**Author's Note:**

> This is the third part in the Loving Seven series. It may be read as a stand alone story. 
> 
> The star ship USS Voyager steadily continues on its way home on traditional warp engines rather than the space folding drive for fear of jeopardizing the life of the pregnant Seven of Nine. 
> 
> Please comment and do not forget to leave a kudos :)

"Kathryn i do not believe Cells wants to come out of me. Could you order her, please?" Seven cried as she hugged a pillow to her large abdomen. Her lower back was aching so much that she was sure one of her internal implants had dislodged and was slowly cutting at her lower abdomen and spine. Janeway sat next to her and rubbed her back soothingly. Kathryn felt exhausted as she had been awake half the night for three nights in a row. Seven`s false labour was as stubborn as the young woman herself and if Kathryn were to be honest with herself, the false labour was as stubborn as herself too. 

 

The captain yawned for the upteenth time as she struggled to stay awake.

"Kathryn, go to sleep, i will be fine. I will wake you when things get exciting. I am sure you will not miss the action." The young woman joked. The Doctor refused to give the expectant mother any sedatives as Seven`s cervix had already started to efface. He sent her home because as a primer Seven would take a long time before her cervix was fully effaced start to dilate actively.

"Ok Darling but i will only have a nap. I`ll be sure to set the tricorder`s alarm to wake me up." Kathryn said and slumped next to her fiancee.

 

Seven of Nine looked at the auburn haired beauty fondly and smiled to herself. Kathryn had given her so much. She was such a small compact form loaded with a big heart. Janeway was the kindest human being she had ever met in her short life as a human, and she was hers. She was now to give birth to a sub unit together with this kind being. Seven knew she was so lucky. What else could a drone wish for? Her thoughts of gratitude were cut short when a particularly squeezing pain began in her lower abdomen and steadily grew until it reached a peak then it subsided.

"Uuuuh! That really hurt. Kathryn! Kathryn! Heeelp me!" Seven cried. She panicked and grasped the pillow as if holding on for dear life.

 

Janeway was up within seconds of hearing her girlfriend cry and was soon kneeling next to the bed holding Seven`s hand.

"It`s okay, my Darling. Just remember to breathe. It will increase oxygen flow to the baby." Janeway encouraged. Once the contractions subsided Kathryn went into the bathroom and got a wet flannel. She returned and rubbed off tears off her beloved`s face and arms. She also gave her small sips of water to drink.

"More." Seven demanded more drink in a hoarse voice. Janeway shook her head sadly.

"No, Darling. Remember what the Doctor said about too much drink and food during labour?" Janeway reminded her gently.

"I do not care for what he said. Give me water, Kathryn. I am thirsty. Is this how you reward me after you fucked me in that rest house on the Palabulon beach?" Seven lamented. Janeway did not have a reply for that. She knew her logical fiancee was not being very logical at the moment so she put up with the insults. Tuvok and the Doctor had warned her of such erratic behaviour. In fact the EMH had covered it in one of the antenatal classes the mothers to be attended.

 

Seven of Nine closed her eyes when the pain disappeared but just when she was beginning to relax it started to build up again.

"Uuuuh! Kathryn! Please let us go to sick bay?" Seven pleaded with the captain. Janeway knew that this was only first stage of labour but Seven`s abdomen became extremely firm during the contractions and they were getting closer apart. Could Seven be in active labour? She wondered. As Janeway contemplated calling the Doctor, she heard Seven crying out again and she seemed to be involuntarily pushing.

"Janeway to the Doctor. Respond."

"The Doctor, here. How can i help?"

I believe Seven is in active labour..." As Janeway talked to the Doctor she heard Seven wail and it was clear that she was pushing as if she was in the second stage of labour.

"Darling, please remember the breathing exercise. Can you do it with me? If you push like that your cervix will swell blocking Cell`s path. You do want Cells to come out normally, don`t you?"

"Yes." 

"Well then. Let`s breathe together." So Janeway guided her fiancee in the controlled breathing exercises they both learned in antenatal class weeks before.

"Very well, bring her here, so i can examine her, captain." 

 

Janeway quickly put a dressing gown on Seven and tied the sash at the front and took the antenatal bag Seven had packed a few weeks before. She ordered a site to site transport from their quarters to sick bay.

 

As soon as the couple materialized, the Doctor and Tom Paris took the young woman and placed her on a bio bed then activated the dome. The Doctor confirmed that the young woman was in the second stage of labour but the baby was distressed. She had the umbilical cord tied twice around her neck.

"Captain, the baby is in fetal distress, i must either perform a fetal transport but there is a risk of beaming the whole uterus along with the baby. I would rather keep the patient`s uterus within the patient. Another option is to perform the old fashioned Cesarean section. This way i will be able to uncoil the cord from around the baby`s neck safely. So what shall i do?" The EMH waited patiently for the next of kin to make a decision. He knew that the captain will decide in Seven and the baby`s best interests. It only took Janeway a few seconds for Janeway to make a decision.

"Do a cesarean section, Doctor if it will give you a chance to save the baby and relieve Seven of her distress then proceed." The captain said with the command mask firmly in place but she continued to soothingly rub Seven`s lower back. This has always been soothing for the young woman.

"It`s only childbirth, captain. She`ll be fine." The EMH said dismissively which earned him a force ten glare from the captain.

"Just do it now, Doctor!" The captain snapped and went to don a sterile sick bay gown, a mask and face mask. She stood at the head of the bed where Seven could see her and encouraged the young woman to be strong for the baby. Janeway noted that saying anything related to the baby cheered Seven up. Kathryn briefly kissed the Borg woman on the lips while Seven closed her eyes. 

 

The ex drone felt pressure as the Doctor and his assistants worked on her abdomen. Only a few seconds had passed when Seven heard the lusty cries of a newborn baby. The assistant took the baby away. Janeway whispered something in Seven`s ear and followed the midwife. She helped clean the baby who was covered in fluids of varying consistencies.

"She`s so beautiful." Janeway cooed when the midwife wrapped the tiny tot in a pink blanket and passed the baby to the captain.

"Congratulations, captain. You have a healthy baby girl. What is her name?" Janeway took the now cooing bundle in her arms carefully and smiled at her.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Murphy." Janeway said with great relief. She took the baby to Seven and peeled off the pink blanket so the new mother could see the baby`s face. The Borg wanted to hold the baby but the Doctor was still using the dermal regenerator to heal her suture at the bikini line. Finally the task was complete and the EMH raised the biobed so that Seven was sitting up in bed.

"Oh, i am still tender, Doctor. Can i feed the baby, now?" Seven asked Kathryn. She looked back and forth between her partner and the Doctor.

"Yes, Seven. You may." The EMH left the new mothers to themselves and returned with a holo camera. He took a few pictures and returned to his office to fill a report for the captain as per protocol. He entered the baby`s name in ship`s logs and sat down to work.

 

Seven of Nine sat up in bed and brought the baby towards her breast. The baby sniffed and searched blindly for the source of food. Finally she licked the nipple and after a few attempts she latched on to the erect nipple to nurse. The suction made Seven jump. She was familiar with this action when she and her fiancee made love but this was different. The baby started off sucking tentatively then she seemed to have mastered the art of feeding in record time when she started to pull at the breast with gusto.

 

Janeway watched the beautiful scene with satisfaction. She was home. Her family was complete. There were still things to consider such as babysitters and breastfeeding on her part. Kathryn had decided to only breastfeed the baby whenever Seven was not around and possibly at night. For now she just wanted to sit with her family and bask in the moment, contented.


	2. Coping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janeway is trying to cope with work and being a mother to her newborn daughter.

Seven of Nine and the newborn baby had been moved to the private section of sickbay where the new mother could rest and feed the baby in private. The Doctor wanted to observe the baby for 48 hours in sick bay before sending her home with her parents. Kathryn was extremely exhausted from dividing her time between sick bay, the bridge and her quarters. Her second and third in command had agreed to divide the times on the bridge between them and had asked the captain to take some time off but Janeway stated that she had so much work to do before she handed over command to her officers. Doing that, however, was proving difficult as Janeway was not emotionally ready to take a maternity leave despite months of preparation for the baby`s arrival. 

 

The following morning Chakotay and Tuvok stood before the captain in the Ready room.

"Captain, i would like to congratulate you on the birth of your daughter. I had the chance to see her in sick bay after you left yesterday evening. I think she looks like you." Chakotay said while Tuvok nodded his head in agreement.

"Thank you, gentlemen. Now how can i help you? It doesn`t normally take two people to congratulate someone. What`s really going on?" Janeway raised a tired eye brow but her voice still held a whip of command.

"You are correct of course, captain. We would like to ask you to take some time off, be with your new family, look after the infant for a while..." Janeway raised an elegant hand to stop her Old Friend from proceeding.

"Tuvok, in case you haven`t noticed, i am not the one who has given birth to the baby. All i need is to make sure my fiancee and the baby are fine and i will be alright." Janeway said and started to tap something on her computer. She looked up at her officers again and noted that they were still standing there patiently. 

"If there`s anything else to discuss i think we`re done here." The captain turned back to her computer and continued to work.

"Captain, please take a few days off, just a couple. We`ll contact you when needed?" The first officer said and looked at Kathryn with a dimpled smile.

"Very well, i`ll do that. I`ll just finish what i`m doing here then i will head off to the mess hall and then to my quarters. Does that sound better?" She said in a resigned tone. The truth was that she was given a shot of the hormone prolactin, the previous evening after the baby was born, to induce lactation as agreed during one of the ante natal classes. Janeway`s breasts were beginning to feel full and uncomfortable. She hoped Seven had not fed the baby yet. It was going to be her first time to breastfeed baby Cells. 

 

The captain logged herself off for two days and walked out of the Ready room but not before she had given her second in command an extensive handover as if she were leaving the ship for a hundred years. Chakotay had stood before her, tolerating the extensive handover with a smile on his face.

"What are you smiling at? Have i said something funny?" Janeway raised an elegant eye brow at him.

"No, captain. I was just thinking of how long you were going to be off and comparing that with the extensive handover i`ve just received.

"Get out of my sight, Commander!" She pushed him towards the door playfully and they both exited the Ready room.

"Have fun changing the nappies!" He said while Janeway smiled, shook her head and walked towards the turbo lift.

 

Captain Janeway`s first stop was meant to be the mess hall then her quarters but absentmindedly she had requested the turbo lift to take her to sick bay. She exited and walked towards the sick bay entrance.

"Captain, good to see you. May i see you in my office, please?" The EMH said.

 

In the Doctor`s office Janeway stripped down to her waist for the Doctor to examine the hormonal effects. He noticed that her breasts were engorged and some fluid started to leak through her bra.

"I`m glad the hormone worked, not that i was doubtful, of course. Centuries ago women who induced lactation had to go through the grueling process of pumping their breasts with a contraption called a breast pump." He continued to talk as he gently palpated the sides to ensure there was no blocked ducts caused by the sudden overnight change. Janeway sat, patiently tolerating the discomfort and the Doctor`s historical narrative. When he was done he smiled at her and turned to his computer to write a report. Then as an after thought "Captain, i have informed the new mum to not feed the baby."

"Why?" Janeway raised an eye brow but she knew what he was going to say.

"The captain mother will feed the baby today and don`t hesitate to contact me if you need assistance." Janeway finished zipping up her jacket and shook her head at the doctor and smiled at his back. He was becoming more human everyday.

 

Janeway walked out of the Doctor`s office and headed to the private room at the back of sick bay. She stood at the door and quietly observed Seven lying on the bed with baby Cells lying beside her and cooing. Seven was talking to the baby and blowing across her face. After a few seconds of observation Kathryn walked into the room and made her presence known.

"Hello, my Darlings. How have you been, Seven?" She kissed her beloved on the cheek and kissed the tiny baby on the forehead.

"The lower abdominal tenderness remains but i have had some analgesics. The Doctor said that i should refrain from feeding the baby today, that the captain mother will perform the task." The younger woman smiled at her fiancee. She noted a cute blush on the captain`s cheeks which she dutifully kissed. 

"I`m just a bit...self conscious about breastfeeding. I don`t even know why?" Janeway wondered.

"Perhaps it is an innate thing. I read about the 21st Century where mothers did not breastfeed babies in public and the reasons were unclear, one was that breasts were viewed as sexual. A woman exposing her breasts could be harassed or worse yet a man exposing the same area had no similar effect."

"Really?"

"Yes. Now, could the captain please start feeding the baby. She has been crying for the last ten minutes but blowing across her face seems to soothe and calm her. I believe she requires nutritional supplements." Janeway smiled at the mother`s wording and went to the sink to wash her hands. She then sat down on the chair next to the bed and stripped. She then received the baby from Seven and started talking to her, about how she loved her. 

 

Kathryn gently rubbed the baby`s head and held her close to her chest. The baby sniffed and searched for a milk giving breast. Soon she found one and started to leak it until the nipple was erect. Finally she started to suck, tentatively at first then with more enthusiasm. A few seconds later she choked. Janeway placed her on her shoulder to allow her to clear the airway.

"Don`t drink too quickly, Cells, you`ll choke but it`s a little too late for that advice, isn`t it?" Kathryn cooed then she brought the baby back to the nipple where the baby continued to nurse.

"Kathryn, your breasts have enlarged, they are so appealing to me, not that they were not before. Do you think i could try drinking your milk sometime?" Seven asked hopefully causing Janeway to roll her eyes.

"No, Darling it`s the baby`s food but i could let you try later if you want..."

 

Janeway realized that her feeding the baby caused her to become aroused and there was a good reason that Seven watching her breastfeeding also caused the other woman to be aroused. `No, this is inappropriate. I can`t feel this way while feeding the baby.` Janeway thought but she focused on feeding the baby until Cells had enough and let go of the nipple.

"Good girl." Kathryn said as she placed the baby on her shoulder to burp her.

 

Captain Janeway was going to talk to the Doctor later regarding the `inappropriate` feelings she had when breastfeeding the baby.


	3. Baby Cells goes home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janeway takes her new family home.

"Now, if you have any problems, anything at all don`t hesitate to contact me." The EMH said with a fatherly smile on his face. He was carrying baby Saoirse, or more affectionately known as Cells Janeway by her parents, in his arms. He passed the baby to the captain and the next thing Janeway saw were flashes of light all around her. She soon realized that the holo Doctor was taking more holo images of the family.

"Thank you, Doctor. I will see you in a week." Janeway said and placed the baby in the pram. She placed one hand at the small of Seven`s back and started walking out of sick bay while operating the pram with the other hand.

"Motherhood suits you, captain." The EMH said and went back to his office, a wide smile still plastered on his face.

 

The mothers walked into the turbo lift on deck five, sick bay, to take them up to deck three where the captain`s quarters were. Two days old Cells opened her eyes to see the now familiar faces above her but it was all blurry, the faces were in black, white and gray. Their scents were also familiar. They provided her with food and made her comfortable. The baby cooed and in a few seconds she closed her eyes and immediately fell asleep. Kathryn and Seven stood either side of the pram and were both looking down into it at the baby`s face. If any crew man had been with them in the turbo lift they would have been treated to the most tender scene of the captain`s motherly side, devoid of the steely command mask and Seven of Nine smiling in the most human way. It transformed the ex drone`s face and gave anyone a glimpse of what Annika Hansen might be like if she were not assimilated by the Borg Collective. On the other hand if these women were provoked the crew man would also have been privileged to witness the split second transformation of the command mask slipping onto the captain`s face and the cool indifference which gave Seven the outward aloofness she was known to possess.

 

In their quarters the captain placed the baby on her small bed in the small bedroom. She had requested the technical team to make the changes in her quarters. Now it boasted a small bedroom off hers. The baby stirred a bit and went back to sleep. 

"Kathryn, are you hungry?" Seven asked as she rummaged through the drawers in the kitchen. The kitchen was also another modification in the captain`s quarters. Janeway had justified the reason for the modification as her personal dining area was taken over by Neelix, the ship`s chef, handyman and morale officer a few years ago and turned it into a kitchen/ pantry area for the crew.

"Yes, Darling but please sit i`ll make lunch today. You need a lot of rest." Janeway said reasonably.

"I have only given birth to our daughter, Kathryn. I am not an invalid. I feel my strength is returning. I am adapting." Seven said with a small smile.

 

Janeway was about to respond then their door chime rang.

"Computer, who`s at the door?" Janeway queried.

"Lieutenant B`Elanna Torres, The Emergency Medical Hologram, Crewman Neelix, Crew man Tal Celes, Commander Chakotay, Ensign Harry Kim, Lieutenant Thomas Eugene Paris, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok..." The monotone voice of the ship`s computer continued to list names.

"Stop! Is the computer malfunctioning?" Janeway wanted to know.

"Negative. The computer is functioning within specified Starfleet standards. The stardate of the last diagnostics performed on the main computer was on..."

"Stop. Computer, how many people are at the captain`s door?" Janeway tried again.

"Thirty five."

"Thirty five?"

"Affirmative."

"Who`s manning the bridge?"

"Lieutenant Junior grade Michael Ayala is in command, Ensign Pablo Baytart, security chief..."

"Stop. That`s not what i meant."

"Please re state the query." Janeway sighed.

"Darling, we don`t have enough room, seats or food to entertain thirty five people. What do we do?!" Janeway panicked. Seven hid a smile. She adored seeing her fiancee`s human side, without the command mask.

"I do not know but the best course of action is to let them in and we will find out then." Seven said dryly.

"Charming!" Janeway said as she walked towards the door. She had considered pretending to be asleep and not open the door but she knew that her crew was eager to see the new parents and hopefully the baby so she grudgingly allowed it.

"Come in everyone but i don`t think i have enough seats for you all." She said apologetically. Janeway was surprised to see the crew walk in and in record time they had seats materialized in various spaces. B`Elanna, Neelix, Celes and a few crewmen from the lower decks had invaded the small kitchen and started serving food from the stasis containers they brought with them. Lovely aromas wafted through Janeway`s nose as food and drink was served and placed on anti gravity trolleys.

"Captain, we apologize for invading your living space as we have done. On behalf of the crew i would like to congratulate you and Seven on the arrival of the new crew member and your daughter. We have brought some gifts which you may find useful in the first few weeks." Tuvok said as he gave command and a large trunk materialized in the middle of the captain`s living room, causing Janeway to laugh. Seven opened it to find a large amount of baby things.

 

There was a large kalto game, rattles, baby soaps and clothes, nappies and shoes and various other items. One thing Kathryn noted was that there was no replicated baby food. She had an idea of why that may be but she wanted to be sure.

"Thank you all so very much. This will keep us from using our replicator rations for a while. I don`t mean to be ungrateful but there`s no baby food." The crew laughed and looked indulgently at the captain. It only took Janeway a few seconds to figure the meaning of their expressions.

"Oh, no. I am not going to breastfeed the baby on the bridge!" She said with horror.

"Why not?" Tuvok asked. "She cannot walk to the mess hall to have one of Mr Neelix`s meals yet so the meal comes to her, be it in the captain`s Ready room, her quarters or the bridge. Is there something wrong feeding the baby, captain?" Tuvok asked his Old Friend. Janeway did not expect that sort of support from her crew. The complete acceptance of having her as captain and now mother was overwhelming. Even in the 24th century there were still some who were biased over breastfeeding infants in public, including herself, but it seemed this crew were not just her crew. They were her family as well.

"Thank you, everyone. Shall we eat now? I am starving!" They all laughed and started to eat and drink.

THE END.


End file.
